Sodna praksa

  • Podatki o zadevi
    • Nacionalna ID: High Court, Judgment II Cp 228/2020
    • Država članica: Slovenija
    • Splošno ime:N/A
    • Vrsta odločbe: Sodna odločba v pritožbenem postopku
    • Datum odločbe: 21/05/2020
    • Sodišče: Višje sodišče v Ljubljani
    • Zadeva:
    • Tožnik:
    • Toženec:
    • Ključne besede: unfair terms, good faith, average consumer, consumer protection, informed decision
  • Členi direktive
    Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 3 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 3, 1. Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 4 Unfair Contract Terms Directive, Article 4, 2.
  • Uvodna opomba

    ECLI:SI:VSLJ:2020:II.CP.228.2020

    The fulfillment of the obligation to inform cannot depend on the interest (participation) of the consumer. First and foremost, the bank is obliged to perform an obligation to inform in any case, to the extent required for the standard of the average consumer (i.e. even if the borrower already has a higher level of expertise). By its nature, the fulfillment of the obligation to inform of the bank is judged simultaneously as deciding whether the bank acted in good faith. The bank provided the consumers with all the information at its disposal and did not conceal from them anything that could influence their decision. Therefore, the bank cannot be accused of acting contrary to the requirements of good faith. Furthermore, the Slovenian implementation of the Directive gives greater protection in connection with article 4(2) of the Directive.

    Relevance: Explains when banks can be accused of acting contrary to the requirements of good faith and the (un)importance of the level of knowledge the consumer has.

  • Dejstva
    The appellants (the consumers) concluded a credit agreement in a foreign currency (CHF) so that they could build a house. The appellants stated that the bank did not fulfill its obligation to inform by not disclosing all the circumstances. Furthermore, the consumers stated that the bank had used the incomprehension of the consumers to their advantage by using their housing distress, even though the bank knew from the beginning that the risk is exclusively on the consumers. The consumers also claim that there was an imbalance in the rights and obligations of the parties and that the bank did not act in good faith as set down in Article 3 of the Directive. The consumer furthermore stated that the Directive was not correctly implemented (concretely article 4(2)), causing a lower standard of protection for the consumer.
  • Pravna zadeva
    Did the bank fulfil its obligation to inform and did it act in good faith as set down in Article 3 of the Directive 93/13/EGS?
  • Odločba

    The Court of Second Instance concluded that the bank correctly fulfilled its obligation to inform and acted in good faith. This was asserted based on the testimony of the bank’s employee which concluded the contract. This employee made various calculations regarding the fluctuation of the exchange rate with the consumers. Moreover, they had a conversation regarding the risk that comes with taking on a loan in a foreign currency. Regarding the implementation of the Directive, the Higher Court states that there is greater protection, namely the admissibility of assessing the unfairness of the main condition if it is vague or incomprehensible. If the unfairness of the contractual term could be assessed, either way, that would be a significant interference with the contractual autonomy of the parties as the main subject of the contract is exactly what the parties had in mind before the conclusion of the contract and explicitly agreed to it.

    Celotno besedilo: Celotno besedilo

  • Povezane zadeve

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Pravna literatura

    Zadetki niso na voljo

  • Zadetek
    The appeal was denied as unfounded, and the challenged judgement was confirmed. There are extraordinary legal remedies left. Unless the judgement is attacked with extraordinary legal remedies it will become part of the Slovenian legal system in the sense that judges will have to rule equally in equal situations.